Illuminated display device



March 21, 1944.

ILLUMINATED DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Aug. "17, 1942 .Itzbrzzey P. M. RESSINGER 2,344,639

Patented Mar. 21, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ILLUMINATED DISPLAY DEVICE Paul M. Ressinger, Chicago, Ill. Application August 17, 1942, Serial No. 455,072

10 Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in displays and has for one purpose the provision of an illuminated display adapted to display or advertise goods.

Another purpose is the provision of such a display in which improved means are provided for illuminating advertising or descriptive material, which may for example relate to the goods dis played or their source.

Another purpose is the provision of an improved display device in which lighting means are employed simultaneously to illuminate display ma-. terial and to illuminate additional ornamental features associated with the display.

Another purpose is the provision of an improved device particularly adapted for Christmas displays in which one or more elements resembling Christmas trees may be employed with a unitary source of illumination for illuminating both the tree and display material located adjacent the trees.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

I illustrate my invention more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig, 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawing.

Referring to the drawing, A generally indicates any suitable base, having a flat or generally flat top I and side elements la. The base may be made of any suitable material and may for example be made of paper, cardboard, or fiber, and may if desired be made foldable or collapsible. Mounted at the rear of the base is a display element herein indicated as a generally vertical back panel 2, which may be of any suitable form and may be secured in any suitable manner to the base A.

In the present embodiment I illustrate it as carrying a Christmas scene, including mountains, and part or all of the panel 2 may be shaped to conform to the contour of the mountains, as at 3.

Located forwardly of the panel 2 I illustrate two conic elements bl, each of which may be exteriorly colored green and otherwise decorated to suggest a Christmas tree. Each such cone may be made foldable and may be of paper or any other suitable material, preferably light.

Referring to Fig. 2, the base is apertured as at Ib to receive the bottom portion of the cones, which rest upon members 5 glued or otherwise secured to the lower face of the base top I. The members 5 may be slotted to receive tongues Ila provided at the lower edge of the cones in order to secure the cones upon the base.

Preferably the interior of each cone is left white to provide a reflective surface. A small lighting unit 6 may be mounted in each of the cones, and its base I may be supported in any suitable manner. I illustrate it as secured to the member 5 of the base A, but it will be understood, of course, that if light material such as paper or light fiber is employed, the top element may be cut away, and the lighting means may extend upwardly therethrough and may be mounted on any suitable inner base element located within or below the member A. What is essential is that a light source shall be located within. the conic Christmas tree element 4.

Each of the cones is preferably provided with a plurality of apertures 8. Preferably each aperture is surrounded by a translucent area 9, which areas may vary in colorsred, green, blue, yellow, or the like. The rest of the Christmas tree is preferably opaque Assume that the Christmas tree as a Whole is painted green, in general simulation of thecolor of an evergreen tree, it will appear when light sources 6 are illuminated as a generaliy conic tree structure with a number of sparks of light scattered about it, each individual spark being surrounded by an illuminated colored area. The general effect is, therefore, that of a Christmas tree covered with lots of various colors.

Since the interior of each of the members A is white and is thoroughly illumined by the light 6, each of the apertures 8 will appear to the observer to be a spot of bright white light. It is not necessary that the light source 6 itself be visible through these apertures, but if it is visible through some of them, the light of these particular apertures will be merely somewhat increased.

If the device is used merely as an advertising or display element, it is not necessary to place goods on the base A. If desired, however, small articles, such as pencils and fountain pens,'may be positioned on the top I of the base A, and descriptive or advertising material relating to them may be inserted on the back panel 2.

It may be advantageous to position small models of buildings and the like, such as Iii, on the top I of the base A, or they may be illustrated only on the back panel I, as at I I.

The light sources in the cones 4 may also be employed to illuminate the front face of the panel 2. I illustrate for example portions I5, which may be rendered translucent or may be cut away so that lighting windows are formed, which may be positioned to direct light from the light sources 5 against the face of the panel 2. It will be understood also that the white interior of the cone serves as a reflector for increasing the illuminating effect. 1

It will be realized that, whereas I have described and illustrated a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes may be made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my drawing and description to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as a limitation to the precise showing.

I claim:

1. In a display device, a base, a panel extending upwardly from the base having display material thereon, a hollow ornamental object extending upwardly from said base, illuminating means in said object, said object being apertured to permit a limited illumination of its forward side, said object being provided with additional means for directing the illumination of the light source within said object against the display element.

2. In a display device, a base, a panel extending upwardly from the base having display material thereon, a hollow ornamental object extending upwardly from said base, illuminating means in said object, said object being apertured to permit a limited illumination of its forward side, said object being provided with additional means for directing the illumination of the light source within said object against the display element, said object being formed to represent a tree, its forward portions being penetrated by a plurality of small apertures.

3. In a display device, a base, a panel extending upwardly from the base having display material thereon, a hollow ornamental object extending upwardly from said base, illuminating means in said object, said object being apertured to permit a limited illumination of its forward side, said object being provided with additional means for directing the illumination of the light source within said object against the display element, said object being formed to represent a tree, its forward portions being penetrated by a plurality of small apertures, each such aperture being surrounded by a translucent colored area.

4. In a display device, a base, a panel extending upwardly from the base having display material thereon, a hollow ornamental object extending upwardly from said base, illuminating means in said object, said object being apertured to permit a limited illumination of its forward side, said object being provided with additional means for directing the illumination of the light source within said object against the display element, said object being formed to represent a tree, its forward portions being penetrated by a plurality of small apertures, the interior of said object constituting a reflecting surface.

5. In a display device, a base, a panel extending upwardly from the base having display material thereon, a hollow ornamental object extending upwardly from said base, illuminating means in said object, said object being apertured to permit a limited illumination of its forward side, said object being provided with additional means for directing the illumination of the light source within said object against the display element, said object being formed to represent a tree, its forward portions being penetrated by a plurality of transparent areas.

6. In a display device, a base, a panel extending upwardly from the base having display material thereon, a hollow ornamental object extending upwardly from said base, illuminating means in said object, said object being apertured to permit a limited illumination of its forward side, said object being provided with additional means for directing the illumination of the light source within said object against the display element, said object being formed to represent a tree, its forward portions being penetrated by a, plurality of transparent areas, each such transparent area being surrounded by a translucent colored area.

7. In a display device, a supporting base, a hollow display member mounted on and extending above said base, formed of a unitary thin element, an upwardly extending generally plane display member located on said base to the rear of said hollow member, a source of light mounted on said base and located within said hollow member, said hollow member being generally opaque but being provided with a light window in the rear, invisible from the front of the base but in linewith the light source in the hollow member and the display surface of said upwardly extending display member, the portion of the hollow member which is visible from the front and sides of said base being provided with a plurality of scattered light passing portions.

8. In a display device, a supporting base, a hollow display member mounted on and extending above said base, formed of a unitary thin element, an upwardly extending generally plane display member located on said base to the rear of said hollow member, a source of light mounted on said base and located within said hollow member, said hollow member being generally opaque but being provided with a light window in the rear, invisible from the front of the base but in line with the light source in the hollow member and the display surface of said upwardly extending display member, the portion of the hollow member which is visible from the front and sides of said base being provided with a plurality of scattered light passing portions, each such light passing portion including a translucent area and an inner transparent area.

9. In a display device, a supporting base, a hollow display member mounted on and extending above said base, formed of a unitary thin element, an upwardly extending generally plane display member located on said base to the rear of said hollow member, a single source of light mounted on said base and located within said hollow member, said hollow member being generally opaque but being provided with a light Window in the rear, invisible from the front of the base but in line with the light source in the hollow member and the display surface of said upwardly extending display member, the portion of the hollow member which is visible from the front and sides of said base being provided with a plurality of scattered light passing portions.

10. In a display device, a supporting base, a hollow display member mounted on and extending above said base, formed of a unitary thin generally conic element, an upwardly extending generally plane display member located on said base to the rear of said hollow member, a source of light mounted on said base and located within said hollow member, said hollow member being generally opaque but being provided with a light window in the rear invisible from the front of the base but in line with the light source in the hollow member and the display surface of said upwardly extending display member, the portion of the hollow member which is visible from the front and sides of said base being provided with a plurality of scattered light passing portions.

PAUL M. RESSINGER. 

